Hey guys new to the site happy to be a part of it. So I just bought a 2006 gs500f off a guy for 1200!!!??? And Running as strong as ever. he was thinking it had developed bad valve seals. Because as he said it was spewing white smoke out the tail pipe. But when i arrived to inspect the bike it didnt seem to be very bad at all in fact it had been raining all week in his area (burbank, ca) even during my inspection. Very light thin white smoke that decipated fast. And wasnt spewing out like he described. I also noticed thin white smoke coming from the cyclinder head gasket where it sandwiches together. Due to being worried I didnt ride it home just loaded it up in the back of my truck. But now ive been riding 20+ miles daily and it doesnt smoke out the tail pipe at all not even a bit. Or out of the cyclinder head in any place. I live in Oxnard Ca and its been really hot no rain. only thing im worried about now is the way the engine sounds. Or maybe im just being overly cautious But only cause The guy had about a quart to much oil in the thing. And he had the bike for almost 4 years! So does that mean hes been riding this bike with to much oil all this time!!!!!??? What kind of issues can this cause? And what should I have checked out or done to my new baby?
Congratulations and welcome to the site!
Is this your first bike?
Probably no need to worry about the engine noise, the stock GS motor has a lot of mechanical noise.
I think I've read running too much oil can blow out some seal, but I can't remember off the top of my head. If I recall you have to run WAY too much oil though. Are you sure your checking the oil correctly? You may be checking it wrong and running it to low :dunno_black:
The returns from tuning the bike are HH brake pads, stiffer fork springs, and a rear shock from an R6 (IMHO).
Thanks for reading slack apreciate it. This is my second bike although my first was also a gs500f but was impounded on me by highway patrol :2guns: but in my eyes Its still my first bike learning everyday. But as of the oil situation i checked it while leaning on its side stand and the dipstick read completely full ( top of the f marking) then I put it on its upright stand and it read well over full atleast a quarter inch above the f marking. Which way is correct? I would assume upright as I did.
https://youtu.be/_smXcxo67FE healthy engine?
I check the oil on the center stand with a cold engine. Also don't screw in the dipstick, just set it on top of the threads.
Thanks for the info man I did exactly as you do. I emptied about a quart i think to get it to read a slight taper from full to low. How many quarts of oil do these bikes need? Ill probally do an oil change tomorrow morning. Any recommendations greatly appreciated.
Look for some numbers on top of the engine case near the dipstick. I don't know what the GS500 says, but my GS450 and GR650 both have an amount cast into the aluminum (it will look something like "2800ml").
If you're doing an oil change, take it easy on the oil filter cover nuts. It really doesn't take much to get them tight, and a lot of people overdo it and snap the studs.
Agree, Rich, good tip, just 'NIP' the bolts up, no need for excessive muscle.
On top of the engine case, near the dip stick: 2600 ml, but if you change the oil filter too, it's 2900 ml.
I've always put 3 quarts in both my 97 and 02 GSs when changing the oil with filter change or without. That puts it a little above the full mark w/o filter change and a little below with filter change. That's always worked for me for 180k GS miles.
I found out almost 30 years ago on my CB750K that ran too hot to touch that the oil level cold in the morning on the centerstand checking with stick screwed down was very close to the same as checking it hot without screwing it down and have checked it that way since including on my GSs. The difference between screwing it down and not screwing it down is approx equal to the amount the oil expands from cold to hot.
Welcome to the forum and congrats on the (replacement) GS :cheers:
Great info. You all been a great deal of help. Thank you! Taking her in for a complete tune up. But I would like to use top of the line oil if I dont like what the shop has to offer ill probally do the oil myself. Any suggestions maybe some synthetic stuff? Racing? :dunno_black:
>:(
You just started an oil war
I use the synthetic stuff walmart sells, 10w40. I think it's valvoline, iirc. It's $8.50 on the shelf or you can order it online, pick up in store: 6 quarts for $35. I can't justify putting really expensive stuff in this motor, and that was the cheapest NON-blended full synthetic I could find that was motorcycle specific.
Batten down the hatches!
This motor is an old design. Just lubricate it.
I use peanut oil to lubricate my engine. It works just fine. I don't see why anyone would use anything else. 8) plus its good for the environment.
I used about 2.5 quarts of valvoline last time I changed the oil and filter.
haha oops wasn't aware of what i was starting Slack. But what does batten down the hatches mean? How do you just lubricate an engine never heard of this method. And peanut oil wow pretty interesting. Thanks again for all the info. Bikes in the shop now. Went with a full synthetic.
Batten down the hatches means like "hold on" because there are many opinions on what oil type one should use. When he said just lubricate the engine he meant to just use any oil that was 10W-40 and meant for 4-stroke motorcycle engines. As for the peanut oil, I'm pretty sure he was joking.
Haha wow i feel dumb but i see now thanks. What about the bike shutting off on me twice in 2 days riding over 50 miles an hour and not turning back on? First time it shutoff i just pulled the clutch in and pulled over. Wasnt able to get it to turn on but was able to bump start it and it made it all the way back home. About a 20 minute drive. Second time I was giving it a steady flow of gas at about 50 mph and it started dieing but coming back alive. rpms dropped a bit then came back up did that a few times while giving it a steady flow of gas then it died so i dropped it a few gears and popped the clutch but didnt go rpms just started falling fast so i pulled in the clutch and pulled over. Battery was dead just started making a clicking sound every time i tried to start it again. Eventually got a jump and made it home.
How old is that battery? As for it dying while you're riding, that's out of my league.
if its dying because of dead battery, could be a bad battery. or maybe the R&R. to easily check the R&R its the little thing under the seat plastics that has little cooling fins on it. just pull it off and look at the back, if it looks burnt/melted then the R&R is toast.
Quote from: J_Walker on May 02, 2015, 01:42:43 PM
if its dying because of dead battery, could be a bad battery. or maybe the R&R. to easily check the R&R its the little thing under the seat plastics that has little cooling fins on it. just pull it off and look at the back, if it looks burnt/melted then the R&R is toast.
:kiss3:
Hadn't herd that trick before
:cheers:
No clue how old just got the bike last week. We'll see what the shop says about it. I asked them to check it out as well. And they said it shouldn't die while riding and it could be the charging system. As of what Ive heard once you let a battery die it never fully charges again. And ive let it die a few times now so ill probably pick one up today Anyways. But ill definitely check that r&r if i can find it.
Batten down the hatches. . Old sailing ship nautical term, if heavy weather and/or dangerous conditions were approaching, they would not only close the cargo and access doors/hatches but place timber battens across the face of same into locking clamps/blocks to keep the water out! .. apart from the bilge and drinking water excess water inside a ship is generally frowned upon! ;)
Slack! You said there would be an oil war!! :( ... I bought popcorn and a drink! ... no war!?? ...
Bike dying while riding? .. fuel level?, partly blocked fuel lines/ petcocks? Or vacuum issues! , loose/damaged ignition circuit wires/switches?, jiggly killswitch?, bad battery cable connections!? ... could be simple stuff or painful stuff. .. start with the simple! :thumb:
... I was gonna use Dolphin oil in my bike! .. but PETA and Greenpeace got all antsy about it!? ;)
It was the battery. Starts right up now. the battery died to many times so its life decreased. After the 3rd time dieing while at warm up this time. I plugged it in to charge so i can make it to the battery store. But it fully charged in 15 minutes so I knew something was off. Then i put it back in the bike and wasnt enough juice to start anymore.
You had me looking forward to a oil war as well slack! and dolphin oil no way am I falling for that one haha good one though.
shop recommended I do a O-ring chain and sprocket kit next as well as a rear shock. I noticed mine is really bouncy so I asked about throwing in a R6 shock and they said 200$ what do you guys think fair? How hard is it to do yourself? As well as the chain and sprockets?
I don't know how it didn't start. . . :dunno_black:
Congratulations GStwins forum at large :cheers:
:icon_twisted:
Everyone knows Royal Purple is the only oil worth using. Might as well not even change the oil if you aren't putting in Royal Purple. And I only recommend changing the oil filter when the cicadas come. :flipoff:
If I can change the chain and sprockets I'm sure you can lol
I really can't recommend enough that you get some basic tools, if you don't already have them, and get your hands dirty. Properly maintaining a motorcycle is crazy expensive if you always wheel it off to a mechanic. And really, there isn't any maintenance you can't do without a bit of searching on the forum, occasionally supplemented with a question for clarification. But, if $200 is a drop in the bucket, and your time is too valuable to do the research and work yourself, then by all means take it in.
Another benefit of working on your own bike is you'll have a better idea of how it works and might be able to fix it if it ever breaks down on the road.
Riding a motorcycle well is a Zen art form. You must know your bike well to ride your bike well.
A Haynes manual wouldn't hurt either.
And a milk crate with cushion or low workshop stool if you got cash! .. great for saving the knees beside bike, lets you relax and focus on what you are doing/looking for other things also. .
I'm adding a cup holder to my milk crate soon! ;) ... and maybe an ashtray.. can't figure out easy way to put fuzzy dice on there though! ;) ;) lol
Quote from: jaynavajo15 on May 01, 2015, 09:01:27 PM
This is my second bike although my first was also a gs500f but was impounded on me by highway patrol :2guns:
Just stuck my curiosity there a little...
Was it cheaper to buy a whole nother bike as opposed to get your old one back from the Hwy Patrol?
Went to jail for 10 days for evading an officer and speeding over 100 mph. First time in jail at 19 years old worst time in my life I was so pissed. The towing company charged me for hauling the bike and a daily fee that increased everyday I think it started at 75 dollars a day and eventually reached over a hundred a day. Since I went to jail i lost my job, When I was released my bike was over a thousand dollars to take out And I was now broke and being heavily fined. So I just lost out on it. Had it for 3 months then I decided to evade. Went to jail didnt ride for about 6 months after made my come back 2 months ago. Bought a truck with a blown head fixed it and then found a guy on craigslist that i traded it to for a 86 honda shadow 750 rode that for a month then traded it for a 86 honda civic and the guy gave me 1000 cash on top. Sold the civic for 1000 and then stumbled upon another gsf for a dirt cheap 1200$ and now im where im at now like it all never ended :D
If you got the truck going again, the chain, sprockets and rear shock should be nothing too challenging. The shock may be easier to do with the removal of the chain (more swing arm slack). Search the forum for R6 shock install. Plan to do the same for the front springs.
Have fun, be safe.
Quote from: jaynavajo15 on May 05, 2015, 05:34:08 PM
shop recommended I do a O-ring chain and sprocket kit next as well as a rear shock. I noticed mine is really bouncy so I asked about throwing in a R6 shock and they said 200$ what do you guys think fair? How hard is it to do yourself? As well as the chain and sprockets?
Buy a used Katana 600 shock or R6 on eBay for probably less than 50. For me it was pretty easy to swap out as long as its on a jack. I've heard that you have to grind off some of the swingarm for the R6 to fit though. Sprockets are pretty easy in my opinion. For the front you just have to remove the cover and pop the C- clip off. For the rear you take the wheel off and take the bolts out. For the chain its easy as long its the right length of links.
Antwan is correct about the R6 shock. I installed an R6 shock on my GS and had to grind the swingarm a bit for clearance.
Grinding down my swing arm is definitely something im not comfortable doing. What year was the shock off of. Isnt there a certain range of years that fits without modifications? If the katana doesnt require mods id rather go that route. But is it a good enough shock? I weigh 150lb. Got my chain and sprockets yesterday so im going to install those in a few hours. Also got some cool adjustable levers. :woohoo:
2008 - 2014 model r6 shock. I think all r6 shocks will require modding. Kat600 shocks will drop right in, but you're very light for that shock. They're quite stiff, and you may find it an uncomfortable fit for you and/or your bike.
Look into the SV650 shock, that might be better for you.
150lbs for a katana shock??! :icon_eek:
.... That might be a little stiff!!! ...
Everyone has their own way they mentally rate the stiffness... But when I installed my katana shock ... It was set on preload 5 ... Left it there to see what it was like..... Short ride later I decided to take it back down... To 1 !! .. And it's fine for me..... And my 300+ lbs geared up
I also fiddled the damping a little but the preload was the thing..
When the guys say remove material from swing arm ... They don't mean HEAPS ... A few mm of it is enough IIRC!! Something you could probably do with even a metal file!! ... Or a dremel maybe?
Agree with others.
Katana shock is way too stiff. At your weight the R6 shock is almost to stiff.
You barely have to shave the swing arm with an R6 shock. Buy a dremmel copy from harbor freight for $25. You only have to shave the depth of a piece of paper or two, over 2 or 3 square inches. It is soooo close to fitting without shaving, but not quite.
When I put on my R6 shock we knew the R6R 06'-08' fit. I hadn't herd about later models fitting, but I haven't been in the R6 shock thread for a few years to read if there have been any updates. Check it out before buying an 09'+ shock.
Also, if you get the R6 and decide it's a shade too stiff racetech makes a softer spring for it.
The R6 shock is SUCH a better shock then the katana
Word of caution: the older r6 shock models may have required a hairs breadth of material removal from the swingarm, but the model I just bought off eBay (09-14) required significantly more than that.
I'll try to take some pics some time and make a thread about it.
Would the SV shock be applicable here? Not sure what the spring rate for that model is.
Just thinking. .. yes it hurt! .. at 150 lbs was it? .. what preload setting is the stock shock on now?
I dont know what setting its on I did notice a zigzag like patern on the shock are those the different preload setting options? How do you adjust? Also purchased this R6 shock today
[attachment deleted by admin]
Nice looking shock!
When you take your stock one out... clean it up and have a look at the setting positions for future reference eh!
There is a special Suzuki tool that's included in the oem toolkit on the bike, but you can do it with a large screwdriver and some extra swearing!
You need to turn that castellated collar (above the top of the spring) in a clockwise direction (in the orientation of your photo), to get softest preload, think the longer the spring, the softer the preload. You can get a special tool or make something up.
Quote from: Janx101 on May 12, 2015, 09:44:20 PM
Nice looking shock!
When you take your stock one out... clean it up and have a look at the setting positions for future reference eh!
Will do. Thanks for the help Just realized what the tool kit was for that came with my bike the special rear shock tools where included. Going to tinker with it in a bit.
I believe the shock is for an 06-07 gs wiki shows the same one but says your going to need some extra parts??? And it shows it like this
[attachment deleted by admin]
you need a sleeve. The stock lower bolt is 12mm, iirc, and the r6 uses a 14 mm. So you get a sleeve that's 14mm od / 12mm id and use the stock bolt. at least, that's what I did. I think I still have some left over sleeve material, I'll check and see tonight, if your interested in it.
It's no big deal. You don't need the clevis or the dog bone to fit the R6. All you need is the nuts and bolts that come with them. So if you can get your hands on those seperately, you're set.
Or do what Slack did. That sounds good.
don't use the hardware store bolts for the rear shock. they are grade 8 bolts, WAYYY to stiff and brittle for use in the rear shock area. if you don't got the bolts. you can do a search online for Grade 3 bolts. [I believe that's what stock uses]
Finally had my r6 shock installed and the guy did it without grinding down the swing Arm he definitely modified the bottom bolt hole some how though. The way he described things. Has me thinking he routed out the bottom bolt hole in order to avoid clearance issue with swing arm. Not even sure if he sleeved it. What do you guys think? Didn't do it myself because I lack the space and I can't do anything unless I'm organized. I definitely feel the difference though. How would you guys describe the feel or difference?
It's definitely stiffer and more responsive. Plus no more diving and bottoming out when braking hard.
Quote from: Antwan95 on June 08, 2015, 03:37:08 PM
It's definitely stiffer and more responsive. Plus no more diving and bottoming out when braking hard.
Your rear shock bottoms out during hard braking :icon_rolleyes:
I think your doing something wrong.
Well, jaynavajo15 did say something about 100 mph+ and evading, so maybe this is just a use case not seen during "normal" riding of a GS :D.
Airborne is another option.... wouldn't want to be in front at a light with that in my rear view mirror!
Quote from: Slack on June 08, 2015, 03:39:58 PM
Quote from: Antwan95 on June 08, 2015, 03:37:08 PM
It's definitely stiffer and more responsive. Plus no more diving and bottoming out when braking hard.
Your rear shock bottoms out during hard braking :icon_rolleyes:
I think your doing something wrong.
Whoops though he was talking about the front.
Quote from: jaynavajo15 on June 05, 2015, 09:58:14 AM
Finally had my r6 shock installed and the guy did it without grinding down the swing Arm he definitely modified the bottom bolt hole some how though. The way he described things. Has me thinking he routed out the bottom bolt hole in order to avoid clearance issue with swing arm. Not even sure if he sleeved it.
Pics?
I was able to get mine in without grinding. I haven't ridden it yet, but there seems to be clearance.